A common method of treating acute, recurrent, and/or chronic pain is by the topical application of heat to the afflicted area. Such heat treatments are used as a means of therapy for conditions which include aches, stiffness in muscles and joints, nerve pain, rheumatism and the like. Typically, the method for relieving pain using heat treatments has been to topically apply a relatively high heat, i.e., greater than about 40xc2x0 C., for a short period of time. These treatments include the use of whirlpools, hot towels, hydrocollators, hot water bottles, hot packs, heating wraps and elastic compression bands. Many of these devices employ reusable thermal packs containing, e.g., water and/or microwaveable gels, or electric current. In general, most of these devices are inconvenient to use on a regular and extended basis. The heat energy may not be immediately available when needed, and/or released in a controllable manner, and/or maintained at a consistent temperature over long periods of time. Typically, these types of devices restrict the movements of the user and proper positioning of the thermal energy may not be maintainable during use.
Disposable heat packs based on iron oxidation, such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,366,804, 4,649,895, 5,046,479 and Re. 32,026, are known. While these heat packs are more portable than the above described devices, such heat packs have proven not totally satisfactory because many of these heat packs are bulky, cannot maintain a consistent and controlled temperature, and have unsatisfactory physical dimensions, which hinder their effectiveness. Specifically, such devices cannot easily and/or comfortably conform to various body contours, and hence, they deliver short duration, inconsistent, inconvenient and/or uncomfortable heat application directly to the body.
Based on the forgoing, there has been a long felt need for thermal body wraps which reach their operating temperature range relatively quickly, maintain a controlled and sustained temperature, have good overall drapability, adapt to a wide variety of body contours, and releasably attach to the user""s body, to provide consistent, convenient and comfortable heat application to the body or body part of the user.
The thermal body wraps of the present invention comprise a unified laminate structure having at least one continuous layer of a flexible material having a substantially rectangular, dog bone-like shape and having a first side, a second side, a first end, a second end, a plurality of heat cells, and means for releasably attaching the thermal body wrap to a user""s body. The heat cells preferably comprise an oxygen activated, heat generating chemistry of powdered iron, powdered activated charcoal, water, and salt, spaced apart and fixed within or to the unified structure of the thermal body wrap. Preferably the heat cells are placed into positions fixed within or to the unified structure of the thermal body wraps, relative to each other and sufficiently close to provide controlled, sustained, and uniform heat to the body or body part of the user.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become evident to those skilled in the art from a reading of the present disclosure.
All percentages and ratios used herein are by weight of the total composition, and all measurements made at 25xc2x0 C., unless otherwise specified.